Three Dimensional World Opens up to Purdue University Students

3D printing at Purdue University (Purdue) has opened up a world of opportunities to students, taking them beyond 2D concepts to creating tangible, real-world designs.

For Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering David Cappelleri, 3D printing with PolyJetTM technology has changed the way his students approach the design process entirely. Cappelleri uses 3D printing to create custom surgical equipment, and found that moving away from an inherently 2D method of laser cutting to a more hands-on approach has profound bene ts.

“[Students] love to see what’s on the screen come to life, and because of the iterative nature of the 3D printing process, they can design and build again, which gives them motivation to understand analysis techniques.”